Meth Ingredients

Criminals can cook meth using a variety of household and consumer products.

Limiting criminals' access to the key ingredient

The key ingredient is pseudoephedrine, found in many nonprescription cold medications. To combat meth production, North Carolina law law only allows cold medications with this ingredient to be sold from behind a pharmacy counter.

You must be at least 18 years old and present a photo ID in order to buy these products. You’re also limited to no more than two packages at once and no more than three packages within 30 days.

Under state law, North Carolina pharmacies use an electronic tracking system to log all purchases of products containing pseudoephedrine. This lets the retailer know if the buyer has reached the legal limit so the store can stop the sale.

The electronic system, called NPLEx, links pharmacies in more than 20 states and has stopped thousands of questionable purchases in North Carolina this year.

This law is helping to keep the number of meth labs in North Carolina in check.

Products that can be used in meth labs include:

Pseudoephedrine (found in cold medicines)

Alcohol

Lantern fuel or camp stove fuel

Lye

Drain Cleaner

Gasoline additives

Rubbing or denatured alcohol

Paint thinner (Xylene)

Starter fluid

Battery acid

Lithium (from batteries)

Antifreeze

Acetone

Energy boosters

Chloroform

Diet aids

Epsom salts or rock salts

Iodine

Matches (books or boxes)

Kitty litter

Chemicals such as sulphuric acid, muriatic acid and toluene

Anhydrous ammonia (a gas often stored in tanks and stolen from farmers who use it for legal purposes)